5-Point Ear Acu

Book a Session with Caitlin Rose

I am trained in the 5 Needle Protocol Auricular Acupuncture by MK Christian, L.Ac. and Rolli Oden, MD. I am currently studying Classical 5-Element Acupuncture at the Institute of Taoist Education and Acupuncture.

Booking a session is solely for the 5 Needle Protocol Auricular Acupuncture, I cannot do personalized acupuncture treatments at this time. I look forward to treating clients with Classical 5-Element Acupuncture when I am licensed, hopefully in 2027.

Sessions may include gentle stretching, Yin Yoga, mindfulness and breathwork.

• Appointments are 45-minutes

• Cost for individuals ~ $25-35 (depends on location)

• Cost for small groups up to 6 ~ $50-60 (depends on location)

• Location options

  • Lyons, CO

  • Your home or office if you live in Boulder or Lyons

Fill out the form and I will contact you within 48-hours, usually sooner.

Acupuncture Needles for this treatment are hair-thin, sterile and single use: a new needle is unwrapped from its sterile packaging, inserted once and then disposed of. Unlike needles that are used to give vaccines or draw blood, acupuncture needles are solid, there is no hollow passageway for liquid to pass through, and much finer and less painful.

You may feel a pinching sensation as the acupuncture needle goes into your ear in some points and feel very little in other points. How sensitive you are to the needles will likely vary day by day and point by point. It’s interesting to notice this variability if you regularly receive the treatment!

Needles are inserted into BOTH ears (the same 5 points on each side) and are meant to stay in for 20-30 minutes. You can always ask me to take to take the needles out early.

Occasionally, a needle will come loose or fall out on its own. No big deal, just tell me and I will dispose of it. 

Before Your Session ~ please eat something (a snack or a meal) within 3-hours before your treatment.

During Your Session ~ allow for 45-minutes from beginning to end

1. I will ask you to sign a waiver, silence your phone and clean your ears with alcohol wipes provided.

2. Get into a comfortable seat in a chair or sitting on the ground.

3. While the needles are in, take this time to be quiet and practice a meditation technique of your choice. My personal preference is to close my eyes, gently deepen my breathing and track the sensations in my body. You may also create art or listen to soothing music.

4. I will stay in the same space as you, in case you need anything. If it is just us, I will set a timer and sit quietly while you rest.  If it is a communal space, I may be circulating to treat other people and will check in with you throughout.

After Your Session ~ once I remove the needles, it is great to gently stretch and notice how you feel compared to before your treatment. You can return to regular activity as you’re ready.

More about 5-Point Ear Acu

When acupuncture needles are inserted they increase blood circulation to the local area and improve chi flow across the energy pathways, referred to as meridians in Chinese Medicine, throughout your body. The particular five points used in this protocol support the organs (Kidneys, Liver & Lungs), give you access to Spirit (Shen Men) and promote healthy functioning of your nervous system (Sympathetic). Together, these points have become a protocol that is effective in a wide array of circumstances for nearly everyone because they promote vitality and balance. 

Why points in the ear? The ear is considered a microcosm of the rest of your body and there are points for different organs, physiological systems and spirit. Imagine the ear as the image of a head-down fetus, the acupuncture map of the ear corresponds quite beautifully with organ/anatomical points being located within this fetal map. 

My personal experience with these points is that they tune-up the systems in me that feel weak ~ like my immunity, energy levels and vitality. They catalyze a meditative state for me where I feel both awake and relaxed and I am naturally inclined to be more mindful of my breathing and sensation. While I have spent time training in mindfulness and meditation, I don’t always find it easy to access those states. There is something about this protocol that shifts my energetic framework and makes my inner landscape more conducive to these practices. 

This 5-point protocol has been used with impressive anecdotal evidence to support people suffering from trauma and addiction. It has been offered to support communities after gun violence, it has been brought to the soldiers and the people of Ukraine during the Russian invasion, it has been a form of healthcare for people suffering from addiction and has been offered as a resource for people reentering society after being incarcerated.

Many people can benefit from this treatment and I highly encourage you to try it whether or not you are experiencing acute stress. The “tune up”, so to speak, can be of benefit no matter where you start from. 

Historical & Present Day Significance

The 5-Point Ear Acu treatment I offer is also called “Acudetox”, “Acuwellness” and the NADA Protocol. Here’s a bit of history about how this specific treatment protocol found it’s way to the United States.

Origins of Ear Acupuncture

The ear point Shen Men is mentioned in the Huang Di Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine) but there is no evidence that needling ears was practiced in ancient China. In 1949, healthcare in rural China started to change and incorporate preventative medicine and scientific medicine. To address the gap between urban and rural healthcare a “barefoot” doctor program developed and individuals were selected to be trained as “barefoot doctors” so that more of the population could receive healthcare. 

In 1957, the work of French neurologist Paul Nogier on a phrenological method of projection of the fetal Homunculus on the ear for reference of physical complaints and points for medical treatment was made public and the Chinese Army added ear needling to the barefoot doctors training. 

Auricular (Ear) Acupuncture in the United States

In 1970 in the United States, the Young Lords, a Puerto Rican nationalist group, and the Black Panthers took over Lincoln Hospital in protest to the lack of services, poor care and discrimination in the healthcare services of the South Bronx. Around this time, several members of the revolutionary groups who had relationships with the Chinese Communist Party and traveled to China to learn acupuncture. They learned that a Dr. Wen in Hong Kong was reporting miraculous success in treating opiate addiction by means of auricular acupuncture. Through efforts trying to duplicate it they experimented and developed a five-point auricular protocol useful for all kinds of addiction. 

Out of this era a healthcare revolution grew and an international organization committed to spreading the use of this five-point protocol called the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) was founded. NADA trains health workers, social workers, chiropractors, counselors, family members and more to give the 5-point protocol that is now known as Acudetox, Acuwellness or the NADA protocol.

5-Point Ear Acu Today

This protocol is becoming more well-known as a wellbeing treatment and preventative and supportive healthcare modality. It is a low cost option that can support people through a variety of stages of health.

The 5-point protocol has been used as an effective response to trauma and is one treatment used in Battlefield Acupuncture. Because receiving treatment is mostly a non-verbal experience, it is often a good fit for trauma patients. The 5-point protocol has been used in trauma-response efforts to gun violence, to the people of Ukraine suffering from the Russian and invasion and more. 

In the continued spirit of supporting marginalized populations, many organizations supporting addiction recovery have adopted the 5-point protocol as part of their treatment and support groups. Locally in Boulder and Denver several organizations offer treatments and trainings to become a technician.

• Natural Highs

• Naropa University

• Acuwellness with M.K. & Rolli

This 5-point protocol is legal in some states for non-acupuncturists to offer, as long as they do a training, and become a technician. When giving 5-point Ear Acu, a licensed acupuncturist and technician follow the exact time treatment and safety measures. While an acupuncturist can give personalized treatments and insert needles anywhere in the body, technicians can only use acupuncture needles on the 5 points outlined by this specific protocol.